


Do I want to fall in love with you?

by la_chicas_mix



Series: Songs from a broken chair [3]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Based on False Alarms by Noah Reid, First Meeting, Inspired by Music, M/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Patrick is a heavy drinker, Patrick is still figuring out stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:15:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24430081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_chicas_mix/pseuds/la_chicas_mix
Summary: Alternate Universe where Patrick is still figuring things out and is still unsure whether to act on his impulses towards David. Having just moved to Schitt’s Creek, he visits the Wobbly Elm regularly to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Songs from a broken chair [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749205
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on False Alarms by Noah Reid.  
> \---  
> So many songs on Songs from a Broken chair sound like Noah knew that the character of Patrick would be coming into his life… he writes so well about Patrick’s struggle in getting to know himself. False Alarms also fits so well… I know this has been done a million times before, but hey, what’s one more…

The usual Friday night Happy Hour at the Wobbly Elm is as much of a success as it can possibly be, considering that it’s the only bar that can be reached by foot from town – if you’re wearing the right shoes, that’s it. It really doesn’t matter that it’s Happy Hour – and Patrick sometimes wonders why they even bother taking a hit in their profit like this – , as chances are that if you want a drink (or eight) outside the walls of your own home then your only option is the Wobbly Elm.

This is Patrick Brewer’s third week in Schitt’s Creek and his eleventh visit to the bar – not that he is counting. By their standards, he is now considered a regular and is greeted as soon as he enters, with the light of the sun setting behind him as he opens the door. He grabs the only free stool there is left and settles at the end of the bar, just by the payphone, holding the cool beer Nathan has just handed him and turning to his left to look into the room.

He observes the varied clientele in silence. The bar is always pretty busy, but particularly on Happy Hour nights. There’s a motley crew of people around him and this is what Patrick likes the most about this bar, about this town – how everybody fits in, without pretension or judgement. There are old school leather-wearing bikers playing pool, young professionals straight out of college cheering to pompous cocktails, as well as middle age housewives sipping on their wines as they pretend to be discussing their weekly book club choice.

Patrick doesn’t see them at the beginning. The book club housewives’ group is so large and loud that you can’t really see past them. The couple that Patrick notices is sitting on a table just behind the Chick Lits (yes, that’s what they are calling themselves) however the vibrant sound of laughter that Patrick hears makes him pay more attention so he moves his head and body until he can get a better view of **them**.

The woman is small but very pretty. Long sleek hair that falls beautifully on her face. She’s wearing jeans and a plaid button-down shirt, but Patrick expects no less – this seems to be the uniform in the area. It just looks odd on her. Her eyes are black and piercing, but she looks at her friend (or Patrick is wishing that that’s all they are) with fondness and affection. Whatever they are talking about has them both in stitches. Which makes Patrick shift his sight to _him_ – her friend. He is absolutely stunning. Probably the most gorgeous man Patrick has ever seen. And he just looks so out of place in this bar. With his fully styled hair, his perfectly trimmed stubble and his strange looking sweater that has got… _are those silver sequins?_ Whatever it is, Patrick can’t stop looking at them, at **him**.

It is not the first time that Patrick has allowed himself to think like _that_ about a man. It is in fact the very reason why he moved away from home, from his previous life. From an almost wedding, from an almost death by boredom behind a mindless desk job. The day he found himself jerking off to the thought of the guy he had seen semi-naked in the gym showers, that’s when everything clicked. Everything fell into place. And the only solution he found was to run away.

And that’s why he is here now. In this town. In this bar. Three hours into Happy Hour Friday, on his seventh beer (probably – he has really stopped counting). And staring at a gorgeous man with a laughter that resonates deep inside him, like music he has longed to hear for a long time – a melody long lost in his memory.

After about half an hour, the couple leaves the bar, arm in arm, still laughing about something that he can’t hear and Patrick suddenly finds himself feeling very lonely in a bar still full of people. He feels uncomfortable being alone with his thoughts right now. So, he finishes his beer and decides to head home himself. It takes him approximately 30 minutes to get back to Ray’s place, and by then his slight inebriation has subsided.

Life continues very much the same for a few days. He’s managed to get a routine working, and although his mind keeps wandering back and forth to the life he left behind, he still hasn’t regretted arriving in Schitt’s Creek. It definitely helps that he is enjoying his work with Ray. Some people did blink blankly at him when he told them that he had voluntarily taken up a job with Ray Butani. “He likes to chat!” people said. But Patrick doesn’t mind at all. Enjoys it actually. It takes his mind out of other toxic thoughts and keeps him busy. Okay, Patrick needs to have a word with Ray about his lack of respect for his privacy but otherwise Ray is a good housemate and boss.

Patrick’s routine also involves hiking, jogging and going to the Wobbly Elm. The early morning runs sometimes take a hit if the Happy Hour at the Wobbly Elm had been particularly _happy_ the night before, but otherwise Patrick is content and is reaching a state of inner peace. Well, inner peace might be a bit of a stretch… but at least he doesn’t hate himself so much anymore for leaving his previous life.

It’s Tuesday night and there’s no Happy Hour at the Wobbly Elm tonight, but Patrick is here regardless, savouring his fourth cold beer of the night. He is idly chatting to Nathan tonight. It’s a quiet night at the bar and Nathan seems to have time to spare in between serving customers. Nathan is not a friend. Not yet. But they are getting to know each other, and Patrick has wondered once or twice if there could be something else there for him too. He’s not a bad looking guy and he is pleasant enough to have casual conversations while he drinks his beers. But is he attracted to him? Probably not.

Patrick is pondering that very question when he notices the man of the other night coming in into the bar. It’s difficult not to notice, he illuminates the room as he comes in. He is talking to another guy. An even taller guy, slim and fit, wearing a white tank top with an open flannel shirt and worn jeans ( _there’s that uniform again_ ). The guy from the other night is wearing another unusual sweater tonight, very dark and very fluffy, he looks like he is peeking out of a black cloud. They are both so gorgeous, so pretty together, but somehow Patrick is once again struck by sweater guy’s beauty, by his stance, the sensuality in his hips. His eyes, his lips. His laughter.

It looks like they are flirting, or that’s what Patrick thinks it looks like when two guys who fancy each other flirt. That’s what he would like to be able to do one day, but he hasn’t figured it out yet. He feels a pang of jealousy as he follows them with his eyes to the table where they sit. They have chosen the darkest corner of the bar, where they are alone and uninterrupted. Patrick wishes he could be as comfortable in his own skin as the tall guy with the flannel. He seems so confident, so unafraid. He sees how flannel guy rests his hand in sweater guy’s knee and how they lean on each other to whisper words in their ears.

Patrick knows he shouldn’t stare, but he can’t help it. His eyes are glued to the couple, his mind wondering what they talk about. He’s lost in this beautiful view until he hears Nathan clearing his voice and offers Patrick another beer. As Nathan swaps the empty bottle for a fresh one, he says “Those are David and Jake”. Startled by the unexpected sentence, Patrick looks back to Nathan and asks “who is who?”. Nathan tells him about David and Jake, how David Rose came to live in Schitt’s Creek over a year ago and how Jake is just a very open-minded guy. There is no judgement in his voice, he speaks about them like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like he would tell his grandma that they were out of stock of oranges at the store. Patrick wants to ask Nathan if they are together, if they are a couple, but he doesn’t find the nerve and instead he dips his head and stares back into his bottle as he imagines that it’s him with David, rather than Jake.

Patrick braves himself to steal another glance and he sees that they are both now standing up away from the table, holding each other very closely and swaying to the sound of a soft song that until now Patrick had not even noticed was playing in the background. _Were they slow dancing in the middle of a bar?_ Oh, to be that bold and confident. So fearless to know what you want and go and get it. Uncompromising with your feelings, allowing them to win the battle for space in your heart.

Once again Patrick can’t take his eyes off them. He notices the positions of their hands, who is touching who and where. Do those hands move up and down? Are those thumbs rubbing against uncovered skin in the neck? Are those fingers gently grabbing a lock of hair? Patrick wishes it was his neck and not Jake's that David’s lips were approaching. He wishes it was his lower back that David was stroking and not Jake's. He feels that pang of jealousy again. Only he can’t take it anymore, pays his tab and leaves.

Friday night Happy Hour comes around sooner than expected. Patrick has been pretty useless and distant since Tuesday. Since he saw David and Jake at the bar, dancing, holding each other tight. So sensually. He wonders for a minute whether he has the energy to go back to the Wobbly Elm today, but hey, it _is_ Happy Hour and it is now more than ever that he needs some Dutch courage and the distraction of a busy bar to occupy his mind with any thoughts other than David.

David.

David.

David.

It’s all he’s been able to think about since that night. David. He’s been absent minded at work, head in the clouds. He is pretty much obsessed and feels ridiculous at the sensation, this feeling that he has never felt before. Deep in his gut, punching him at every thought of David’s hands around Jake.

He is early enough today that his usual spot is still free, but there aren’t any stools available so he settles his elbows against the bar, signals at Nathan for a beer and places himself comfortably to look into the room and people watch. The bar is busy as it usually is on a Friday night. But Patrick is not just looking at people. He is looking _for_ people. Looking for David, in particular.

Patrick knows that the chances of seeing him again at the bar tonight are slim. He is not such a lucky guy after all. But even if David was to come in tonight, would Patrick do anything about it? Is he miraculously going to grow a pair and talk to him? Well, who knows? Maybe…

Patrick’s heart almost leaps out of his chest when he sees the brunette of the other night walking into the bar followed by two other girls. They are laughing and joking around, and for a little bit while they are ordering their drinks, they settle at the bar near Patrick. He attempts to listen in, but he doesn’t want to look like a creep, so tries to keep his face focused on Nathan – observing him as he prepares their drinks and shots. He ends up overhearing snippets of a conversation between the girls – the brunette telling the others how David ended up things with Jake when he discovered that he had been two-timing them.

Patrick feels himself relax, relieved at the news of David’s recent single status. For an instant he also feels mad at Jake, almost personally insulted that someone would voluntarily hurt David by not being sincere and straight forward. He surprises himself with this feeling – he’s never felt possessive like this, not even with his ex, and particularly not with a guy he’s only seen a handful of times before, in the distance as he enjoyed himself with another man. No, he’s definitely never felt this before.

He is mentally exhausted and pretty intoxicated by now, but before he decides to walk home again, he approaches the group of girls – who at this stage are as wasted as he is – and says in his drunken slurred voice “goodnight ladies, I hope you had a good evening. Say hello to David for me.” He is sure that he has said something else, but he can’t remember right now.

He turns around and leaves before any of the stunned girls can retort anything back. As the door is closing behind him, he can hear their laughter. Maybe he is a funny guy. Maybe that’s what it is.


	2. Chapter 2

His head is throbbing this morning so Patrick decides to skip his planned Saturday morning hike and lay in bed for a while longer. At least, his head has stopped spinning which is a good thing, because he has lots to think about and he only has enough brain power for one activity at a time.

It has been a long time since he has felt anything like this about anyone. The fact that it is a man that he is having these feelings for strikes him at the beginning but not anymore. The question that is bothering him now revolves around being _ready_ to have these feelings. It has not been that long since he left his previous life, his girlfriend, the feeling of being trapped. And he doesn’t necessarily want to fall into the same pattern. His heart is not ready for that.

The expected knock on the door arrives exactly at the same time as every Saturday. The look he gives Ray however tells him that he is not ready to be up, let alone to eat any solid food. Ray understands and retreats – for now. So Patrick stays in bed a bit longer, thinks for a bit longer.

He thinks back to last night and a shiver runs through his body at the memory _and_ lack of memories simultaneously. He remembers approaching the group of girls on his way out. And he remembers saying something to them. But what did he say? He really hopes that nothing too embarrassing. _Who were they again?_ He already feels bad about himself, about how much he’s been drinking in the last few months, since his life started crumbling under his feet. But drinking helps him. First of all, it gets him out of the house. Not that he doesn’t enjoy movie nights with Ray. But there’s so much of Ray that he can take, and the solitude of his room can be overwhelming at times. Secondly, he’s really come to enjoy spending time at the Wobbly Elm. He enjoys Nathan’s company and he loves watching people. And if he gets to ogle gorgeous looking men at the same time, well that’s an added bonus that he’s not going to complain about. 

The following night he returns to the Wobbly Elm. Nathan seems surprised to see him back. Patrick doesn’t normally come to the bar two nights in a row, so that’s probably what Patrick is reading in Nathan’s face. As expected on a Saturday night, the bar is starting to fill up with some of the usuals. Patrick greets some of them as they come in and exchanges some pleasantries. Nothing personal, nothing meaningful. He keeps his eyes peeled to the door, hoping and wishing that a certain person will come in.

He hasn’t stopped thinking about _him_ all day. Which is not a new feeling – after all, he has been thinking about him non-stop since he first laid eyes on him. But the feeling has been getting stronger, deeper, and harder to get rid of. He thinks of him in bed, in the shower, at breakfast, as he does the laundry, as he pretends to listen to Ray, and at every single step of his journey to the Wobbly Elm.

He thinks of his lips, of his smile, of the silhouette of his Adam’s apple as his head was thrown back laughing at something that Jake must have whispered in his ear, of how delicate his fingers seemed ghosting Jake’s lower back. The punch of jealousy is so strong that Patrick has an instant desire to order something stronger than a beer, a neat whiskey perhaps. But he is still regretting this morning’s headache, and with the hope in his mind of still seeing David tonight, he orders a soda instead. Nathan is again looking at him with a surprised look, but he complies and gets him the requested drink. “Everything ok, Patrick?” Nathan asks, inspecting him with a suspicious eye. Patrick wants to say _yeah, sure, everything is ok_ , but he doesn’t even have the energy for fakery, so he raises his glass instead and says “Here’s to love” with a smirk in his face. Nathan immediately detects the sarcasm and lets out a small laugh. He turns back to keep serving customers but keeping and interested eye on Patrick all the same.

A couple of drinks later, Patrick has still not moved from his spot. He is still staring at the door, his hopes of seeing David having dwindled considerably and now regretting not having had any alcohol. He’s had a nice chat with Nathan, however he wants to go home now but being sober means that he’s not going to cope so well with the colder weather if he walks. He is contemplating getting a taxi when the door opens, and _he_ is there. David is there. Standing by the door, looking in, his eyes raking the bar in the search of someone.

Patrick wants to be the object of David’s exploration. It’s all he wants. He wishes it so strongly that when David’s eyes finally fall on him, Patrick can’t believe how his eyes relax and the small smile that appears on David’s face. Suddenly he curses his inexplicable mind power.

Incredulously, Patrick looks behind him, and then to his left and to his right. _Is David looking at **me**?_ He allows a small smile to also grow on his face. Had he been drinking tonight, he would have thought that all of this was happening in his intoxicated mind. But for the first time in many, many weeks, he has not touched a drop of alcohol. His mind is clear. Sober. Lucid.

David is now approaching him and Patrick starts shifting on his stool. He doesn’t know where to put his hands or what to do with his face. David is maintaining straight eye contact as he makes his way to Patrick’s spot.

David is standing right next to Patrick, his hips slightly leaning on the side of the bar. He stretches his hand out to Patrick and introduces himself.

“Hi, I’m David – but you already know that”. David has got a loopsided smile in his face and is looking Patrick up and down, checking every single centimetre of his body. He looks… _interested_?

“Err… I’m Patrick”. The words come out weak, uneven, shaky. So Patrick clears his voice and tries again. “Sorry… Patrick, the name’s Patrick. And yes, I already know your name”. He is beyond flushing now, a deep shade of red covering his cheeks, and unable to keep eye contact.

“I got your message, and the answer is yes”, David adds trying to stop Patrick’s obvious embarrassment. But the sentence does nothing of the sort. Patrick seems to be wishing that a hole suddenly appears under his feet and swallows him whole.

“Message? What… what message?” He is saying the words slowly. Very slowly. With a nervous laughter in his voice. He’s trying to simultaneously rewind his memories back to the previous night. _What the fuck had he said to those girls?_ His mind draws a blank, so he hopes that the fact that David is actually here now means that whatever he said is not too humiliating. There is a glint in David’s eyes, Patrick can’t help but to be drawn even more to that glint.

“Mmm… Yeah, you know, what you said to my friend Stevie. Did you think she wouldn’t tell me? You obviously don’t know her.

“So… what did I say?” Patrick is not sure that he really wants to know, but… fuck it, carpe diem and all that shit. When is he going to be this close, face to face with David again? He is definitely going to make the most of this situation – obviously he should trust drunk Patrick. Drunk Patrick has got sober Patrick’s best interests at heart. He wishes drunk Patrick were here now.

As David is weighing up what to say next, Patrick quickly offers him a drink and gets another one for himself. He chooses a neat whiskey this time. He’s got a lot to catch up with if he wants drunk Patrick in the room again.

“Well, obviously I can’t repeat verbatim what you said, because according to Stevie you were slurring your words and not making much sense, but it was something along the lines of _Say hi to David from me, he’s so handsome, why is he so handsome. Am I handsome, would he find me handsome?_ Stevie thinks you may have said more, but there was some babbling apparently and then you left.”

Patrick really wants to be mortified. But in a split second he makes a decision. Finally, he has an answer to that question that has been floating around his head _: you can only win if you play. It’s okay to take risks_. So, he decides to play the game. He decides to not play it safe anymore. His mind comes back to the moment with David and he is finding the whole situation so ridiculous that he can’t help but laugh out loud with David.

They are laughing together.

It can’t be bad if they are laughing together, right?

Patrick already knows the sound of this laugh. He has heard it and seen it before, and it is exactly what attracted him to David the very first time. He wants to keep hearing this melody that keeps making his heart thump against his chest.

“So the answer _is_ yes? Interesting” Patrick says, his eyes narrowing and focusing on David’s intent gaze.

The ice has been broken, the initial awkwardness gone. So they talk. The usual introductions, where are you from, what do you do, and all that crap gets scrapped and they dive straight into full flirting mode. And Patrick finds that David’s easy laughter is a mere reflection of his personality. Light, vibrant, cheeky at times and reserved at others. Definitely hypnotising and enigmatic. And Patrick craves more. Before he _wanted_ David, now he _needs_ him. And the sudden realisation of this primitive need almost sends him spiralling but he doesn’t allow it. He can’t. David is standing next to him, smiling and flirting, and he must take advantage of this situation. Take charge.

Noticing a slight change in the background music, to something akin to the song that David and Jake had danced to, Patrick wonders again what it would feel like to have David in his arms. So without hesitating any further, he finishes his drink in one gulp, moves a step away from the bar extending his hand to David and says “Dance with me”.

Patrick is encouraged by the sly look in David’s face and the electricity he feels when their hands touch. He holds David close, very close. As close as Jake had held him. And if David is surprised at Patrick’s sudden confidence, he doesn’t say. Patrick is in fact pleased about David’s seemingly welcoming response to his advances.

Patrick rests his head in the nook of David’s neck and his breath hitches slightly when he feels David’s thumb gently brushing the edge of his collar and his neck.

“This is nice” David says, his voice low, sweet as honey next to his ear.

Patrick hums in response. He has relaxed in David’s arms in a way that he could have never imagined was possible. Comfortable. It just feels right. Like he belongs. And it has been such a long time since he felt like this that he doesn’t want the feeling to ever go away. He wants to macerate it, bottle it and keep it forever.

“I could get used to this”, Patrick says, almost to himself, but loud enough that David can hear it.

“This?”, David wonders.

“Holding you in my arms”, he whispers while breathing David’s scent in.

There’s a moment’s silence between them, in which they just sway together.

“That’s something that we could explore”, comes David’s reply, sensual against Patrick’s cheek.

“Yeah, let’s explore that”.

Patrick smoothly moves his head to face David, who is intensely looking at his lips. Their hearts thump to the same rhythm, their breath in sync. The energy of the anticipation making them both nervous. They both want it. They both push forward. They kiss right there and then. In the middle of the Wobbly Elm, their bodies merging into one, slowly moving to a song that is not slow anymore, unaware of the curious looks of the patrons, oblivious to Nathan’s knowing smirk. Unconcerned about anything else that is not the person in their arms, kissing them, touching them.

Patrick’s mind is overwhelmed with the all the new sensations running through his body. This is the best kiss of his life and the surprise of the realisation makes him want it even more. He aches at the yearning. It’s all he wants. _I want to fall in love with you_ , is all Patrick thinks. The fog in his mind clearing, everything makes sense now. He needs David. He wants David. He loves David. The strong attraction and affection are undeniable. This is all he ever lacked and craved.

David.

David.

David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


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